The same forensic auditor who told the Deerfield Beach Commission last month that he found "suspected fraud" in the way city doles out state and federal housing dollars appears destined to turn his investigative eye toward other city programs.
At tonight's meeting, City Manager Burgess Hanson is likely to broach the subject with commissioners, he told Juice Monday afternoon. "I may be bringing up the topic of doing a second audit or internal control review," he said.
Hanson wouldn't offer any details about what part of the city's budget would get closer inspection, but he said that he and the auditor, Michael Kessler, "are talking about the scope."
The Juice archives might provide some clues about what intrigues a forensic auditor. Maybe it's the fact that the Deerfield Beach Housing Authority gave lucrative contracts without a public bid process. One of those contracts went to a firm run by the husband of a consultant hired by the city housing authority.
Or maybe Deerfield Beach is finally going to take a look at the Mango Festival, a seemingly popular event that draws thousands of revelers and yet always claims mysteriously low attendance, leaving questions about whether the city's generous contributions are truly going toward festival expenses or into the pocket of organizers. Even Deerfield Beach Mayor Peggy Noland has expressed bewilderment about how the festival reports such low attendance figures.
